Kawasaki, Sakade, Zimmerman, and their contributors examine the historical development of burden-sharing among the United States (US) and its allies after World War II, looking at examples from Western Europe and East Asia.

Through a series of case studies, the contributors to this volume identify the characteristics and historical transformations in the burden-sharing relationships between the US and its allies. In addition to diplomatic and security concerns, they also look at the economic and financial dimensions of burden-sharing and how all these elements are intertwined. They also address the different dynamics of burden-sharing between the US and Western Europe – notably Germany and the United Kingdom (UK) – on the one hand and between the US and East Asia – particularly Japan and Korea – on the other. In particular, they argue that while Western European countries provided most of the economic and political support for American policies until the 1960s, the economic support from East Asian countries became much more important from the 1970s onwards.

This book is a valuable contribution to the literature on burden-sharing and strategic alliance for scholars of international relations and the diplomatic history of the Cold War.